Chickpeas as well as all chickpea-based foods, like hummus and falafel, are high in calories.
How many calories are in a serving of chickpeas?
Chickpeas have a great nutritional value. They’re packed with protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
But, they’re high in calories. Cooked chickpeas (Garbanzo beans) contain 164 calories per 100g. A cup contains about 270 calories.[1]
After all, chickpeas are particularly high in carbs.
So, you should eat chickpeas and other chickpea-based foods in moderation. Especially, if you want to lose weight.
Actually, chickpeas have the highest calorie content among the most common beans, second only to soybeans!
Are other chickpea-based foods high in calories?
Chickpea flour (besan) is a great alternative to wheat flour. It’s richer in protein, fiber, minerals, and antioxidants than all-purpose wheat flour. It’s pretty high in calories as well.
Chickpea flour has about 390 calories per 100g. It has slightly more calories than all-purpose wheat flour (360 calories per 100g).[2]
You can find a wide variety of chickpea flours and other chickpea foods on Amazon.
Hummus is a popular Middle East spread usually made of chickpeas, blended with tahini, lemon juice, and garlic. Hummus has about 180 calories per 100g. A tbsp has 27 calories.
Falafel is another popular chickpea-based Middle East fast-food. They’re deep-fried balls usually made of chickpeas, herbs, and spices. Falafel is particularly high in calories, though. It has about 510 calories per 100g. Just a small patty has 87 calories!
Falafel is high in calories because it contains too much fat. Actually, all fried foods are high in calories, due to their high fat content. Vegetable oils are super calorie-dense foods. They’re almost 100% fat. Just a tbsp of any vegetable oil has about 125 calories!
Are chickpeas good for weight loss?
People who want to lose weight shouldn’t consume high amounts of chickpeas.
After all, we lose weight only when we consume fewer calories than we burn. Better consuming no more than a serving of chickpeas a day.
On the other hand, chickpeas are super filling. They can help us control appetite and decrease cravings for fattening foods. So, moderate amounts could help us consume fewer calories a day, and eventually, lose weight without feeling hungry. We can eat them at dinner as well.
Actually, all beans are good for weight loss.
